Now Launching: Astro Code School for Django and Python Education

Hao Nguyen

April 20, 2015

Since moving to Durham in Fall 2014, we've been busy here at Caktus. We just finished renovating the first floor of our headquarters to bring the Triangle's (and East Coast's!) first Django and Python code school, Astro Code School. We're proud to say that the school is now officially open and we'll be celebrating with a public launch party on May 1st.

I spoke with Colin Copeland, Caktus co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, about why Astro matters to Caktus and our region here in North Carolina: "The Triangle has seen an influx of people relocating here to be a part of a thriving technology sector. However, as business leaders, we have a responsibility to make sure innovation in the Triangle doesn’t leave people behind. For folks who have lived here and seen Durham and the rest of the Triangle evolve, we want to make sure they have the opportunity to be a part of the change. That starts with education, and that’s why we are opening the Astro Code School.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 20% growth for web developer jobs from 2012-2022. That growth is twice the projected growth of all U.S. occupations for the same period. Not only will Astro train developers to fill this job sector, but it will also focus on the Django and Python languages, of which Python is widely recognized as the leading language for the next generation of programmers.

“It’s an exciting time be in technology,” adds Colin. “It’s a field whose reach extends beyond the latest cool app. It’s clear technology will play a large part in solving some of the biggest issues of our time— humanitarian aid for war refugees, HIV/AIDS, and access to democracy, just to name a few. That’s some of the work we do at Caktus and we want to make sure Astro Code School gives future technologists the same tools to work towards making the world a better place.”

To celebrate the opening of the school, we will be hosting a launch party on Friday, May 1st from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Registration is required.. The event will be held in our newly renovated historic space at 108 Morris St in downtown Durham. We hope to see you there!